Insult to Injury
by PaxAmor
Summary: Dark fic, no romance. Loki kidnaps Tony to take revenge on the Avengers. Trigger warning for graphic torture and violence. You've been warned. This is my first fic, so please, no flaming. R&R.
1. Abduction

Tony strode into the living room, his destination already in mind. He made his way over to his custom bar and reached up to grab his favorite glass, setting it down on the granite countertop. _Gods know I need a drink, _he thought. He bent over to get a bottle from his cooler, when he suddenly glanced up. Was it just his imagination, or did he hear something? Out of the corner of his eyes, he could have sworn he saw a pair of emerald green eyes glittering mischievously at him from across the expansive living room, but when he blinked, they were gone. He relaxed and poured himself a glass of ice-cold whiskey. _Just my imagination._ He grabbed his glass and walked over to his picture window, looking out over the vastness that was New York City. Tony could see the construction taking place throughout Manhattan from their extraterrestrial visit six months ago. Of course, the city forced Tony to help pay for repairs, although he pointed out that if they wanted to sue someone, they could sue the Norse God that actually destroyed it. No such luck.

He wasn't surprised that he was imagining things, considering. The briefing at SHIELD headquarters today had struck an emotion in Tony that he hadn't felt since the battle for the city six months ago. Fear. Loki had escaped from his maximum-security cell on Asgard, leaving five guards dead and an additional five injured. Despite the best efforts of multiple realms to track him, no trace had been found of the God of Mischief. _Fantastic. There's a crazed, revenge-seeking supervillain on the loose in the universe. Again. _

Tony stiffened suddenly, sensing a presence behind him. He heard a sinister chuckle, and a cold, sharp blade slid into place around his neck.

"Hello Stark. Remember me?" purred a dreadfully familiar voice into his ear.

"I don't know," Tony choked out. "Are you one of my many adoring fans?"

The voice growled. "Think harder if you value your life." The knife pressed deeper into Tony's throat, drawing a few ruby drops.

Tony nodded, now unable to speak.

"Good. Then you know what I am capable of. You will come with me, and will not say a word or fight, or you will suffer a long, excruciating death," hissed the voice.

Tony nodded cautiously once again, and felt the knife disappear. He released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and turned to face the God of Mischief. Loki smiled maliciously at him, and then shoved him forward. Tony began walking as Loki directed him to the elevator. Loki pressed the button for the 95th floor, the helipad floor.

A voice came on over one of the many hidden computers and speakers throughout Stark Tower.

"Sir, would you like me to call SHIELD for assistance?" asked JARVIS suddenly, and in a flash, Loki had his knife at Tony's throat again.

"Choose wisely, Stark," murmured Loki.

"No, Jarvis, I'm fine." Loki pressed ever so slightly with the knife, and Tony continued on with sickening understanding. "Erase all records of the past half hour, and do not alert anyone as to who was here, or where I am," Tony choked out, and the knife was removed.

Though Loki was behind him, Stark could almost see him smirking.

"Good choice."

When the elevator doors opened, Loki dragged Tony down the short hallway and out the door to the helipad. Tony stopped abruptly, in awe of the sight before him. The sleek black helicopter was the largest Tony had ever seen aside from the helicarrier, taking up most of the rooftop space. Loki growled and dragged him forward, breaking his focus. Loki hauled Tony up the steps into the back of the helicopter, and flung him to the ground. Loki grinned, and his scepter materialized in his hand in place of the knife, which Tony could see was covered in Norse runes. Loki strode over to Tony and clapped his hands to Tony's temple, and the world swirled into nothingness.

Tony awoke in a small amount of pain, noting bruises on his hips, elbows and knees, indicating that he had fallen or been thrown to the ground. He also noticed that he was missing a shirt. _At least I still have my pants!_ he thought, thankful for some protection from the chill of the room.

"JARVIS, what happened?" No response. "JARVIS?"

Tony opened his eyes, and found himself in an unfamiliar room made of solid stone, with no doors or windows. _What the hell? _All of a sudden, his memory came rushing back. The threats. The kidnapping. Loki. _Oh, shit. I'm in the clutches of a madman. This'll be fun. _Tony, too tired to move just yet, glanced around his cell. There was a metal chair in the corner, and Tony thought he could see a table in his peripheral vision, although he couldn't tell what was on it. He tilted his head slightly, and caught sight of a pair of manacles hanging from the ceiling about 3 feet from the nearest wall. Fantastic. The only light he could see was coming from a single bright light bulb in the middle of the room. Tony felt the temperature drop further, and heard Loki's voice from behind him.

"Already awake, I see. How do you like your new, well," Loki gestured grandly around the dungeon.

Tony, disliking this feeling of vulnerability lying on the floor with his back to his captor, began to stand up. He started to roll over and was on his hands and knees when a boot slammed into his ribs, kicking him onto his back. Tony gasped in an attempt to catch his breath, and the boot appeared on his neck. He began to struggle to breathe as the boot pressed down, giving him tunnel vision.

"Where do you think you're going, Stark?"

Tony flopped over and managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of Loki's smirking face as he blacked out for a second time.

When Tony awoke again, he was strapped to the cold, metal chair he had seen earlier. This time, however, instead of immediately reacting, Tony kept his eyes shut and listened carefully for any sign of Loki. He didn't hear any breathing aside from his own, so he opened his eyes. Tony glanced around the room and, not seeing anyone, relaxed. He bent his head to examine his bonds; solid metal with no apparent opening mechanism, and too tight to squeeze out of. Ah, well. He didn't think Loki would be that careless anyways. Tony also noticed that there were armrests to the chair, but no back. Interesting. Tony leaned his head back and tried to mentally ready himself for the tortures that were sure to follow Loki's return. Tony suddenly felt a rush of cool air brush his ear, and a voice whispered, "You recover fast."

Tony jumped, and Loki laughed, materializing in front of Tony. Loki was dressed similarly to the way Tony remembered him from the fight several months ago, in his black, green and gold armor and his sparkling staff, as well as his ridiculous golden hat.

"Hey, Reindeer Games. I see you found the Glowstick of Destiny again." Loki's cool smile fell, and his jaw twitched in irritation, but he remained silent. He stared at Tony for an uncomfortably long moment, and then began circling Tony like a vulture, considering him from all angles.

"You like?" jabbed Tony after about a minute. Abruptly Loki stopped behind Tony, and Tony felt cool metal press against his back between his shoulder blades. Tony stopped moving, suddenly painfully conscious of his position as a captive. Tony winced as the blade of the scepter dragged down his spine, leaving a long cut dripping blood down the center of his back. Loki returned to the front of Tony and smiled. Tony muttered under his breath.

"Asshole"

Loki's scepter dropped to the floor with an ominous clang, and he strode forward, until his face was threateningly close to Tony's.

"What?" he growled, his cool breath slapping Tony's face.

"I said, asshole," replied Tony, smirking in spite of himself. Loki's hand flew up and coiled itself around Tony's neck and began squeezing, stopping just short of cutting off Tony's air.

"You would do well to remain quiet and respectful to your captor, given your current position," Loki hissed into Tony's ear.

"Respect? You?" asked Tony, feigning disbelief. "Why would I respect a psychotic murderer?"

Loki's free hand slid backwards, and the scepter flew into his hand. With a quick breath in Norse, Loki transformed the scepter into a sparkling diamond dagger.

"Because you are my prisoner," Loki replied, stoking the side of Tony's face with the knife almost lovingly, his hand still tight around his neck. Loki pressed forwards, and the chair tipped back, Tony's feet scrambling desperately to catch grip on the stone floor.

"Tell me, Stark, why I shouldn't kill you right now. You, the 'genius' Tony Stark, the Man of Iron, at the mercy of your worst enemy. You who…"

Tony cut Loki off. "Don't flatter yourself with the 'greatest enemy' thing. I've seen better."

Loki growled and continued. "You, who ruined my great plans for mankind. I have every power over you, why shouldn't I kill you?"

"Because I'm too lovable to straight up kill?" choked out Tony.

Loki sneered, and plunged the knife into Tony's thigh. Tony bit back a scream as Loki forced the blade deeper, twisting it agonizingly into the nerves.

"Actually, it would be a waste to kill you, Stark. You have too much heart to kill. I will simply break your will, taking revenge for every grievance your group of 'heroes' has caused. And then, you will be mine to command as I please. Imagine what I could do with the great Iron Man at my disposal," Loki whispered softly.

Tony could imagine, and it was nothing good. And his situation continued to get worse. There was nothing he could bargain with, no information to tease the god with. Loki already had what he wanted, or would soon, if Tony broke. He couldn't let that happen.

He felt the bloodied knife slide out of his leg, and as he felt the blood rushing out, Tony let out a small gasp, unable to do anything else from the shock. Loki wiped the knife on Tony's chest, and, smiling sadistically, he released Tony's throat and let the chair back down. He muttered in Norse again, and the knife transformed back into his terrible scepter. He leaned close again.

"You will break, Tony Stark. And I will enjoy every second, every blistering moment of it." Loki vanished, and Tony finally hung his head. He was screwed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone who viewed, favorited, followed, or reviewed. You all make me so happy! **

**Forgive me for any wrong information, I'm not a medic ****. Please review and enjoy!**

Fury leaned forward at the table. "What do you mean, Stark's missing? He was here just yesterday morning, Hill!"

Hill looked won at her feet, somewhat intimidated by Fury's temper that currently matched his name.

"He's missing, sir. Miss Potts called us early this morning and informed us that he is missing from Stark Tower. She said that he always informs her when he leaves New York, and he hasn't answered his phone since noon yesterday. She sent a friend to check out the Malibu house as well, and he isn't there. For all intents and purposes, sir, Stark is gone missing."

Fury rested his head in his hands. "Do we have any agents out looking for him?"

"Yes, sir."

Fury nodded. "Good."

Hill stepped forward.

"Sir, if you don't mind me saying, don't you think it strange that Stark went missing one day after Loki's escape?"

Fury stood and looked at her.

"Hill, you know I don't believe in coincidences. But, I will not jump to conclusions when there is no evidence that he is behind this."

Hill nodded. "Very well, sir."

Fury dismissed Hill and turned to face the window.

"We'll find you Stark. One way or another."

**~~Fancy Page Break~~**

Tony's head spun from the blood loss, all of his thoughts jumbling together incoherently. He forced himself to look at his leg, and he carefully wiped what blood he could away from the wound. It was not wide, but was rather deep by the look of it. The blood was not spurting out, so thankfully Loki had missed any major arteries. However, his leg was still bleeding profusely, creating a puddle on the stone floor beneath him. Tony grit his teeth and pulled his legs close to the armrests. It sent a jolt of pain through the wounded leg, and Tony cried out slightly, but continued. He grasped the pant leg of one side, and quickly forced that leg down, ripping off a piece of cloth. He tossed the cloth onto his injured leg, and readied himself as best he could for the pain about to consume his body.

His injured leg still propped against the armrest, he forced his hand forward slightly to press the cloth against the wound, and almost yelled from the racks of pain shooting through him, but steeled himself and pressed harder. After a few minutes of pressure, the wound slowly stopped bleeding. _That's one problem taken care of, _he thought, leaning back as he set his foot down cautiously, not wanting the wound to reopen. He knew it would probably be infected if it wasn't treated soon, but at least he knew he wouldn't die from blood loss. At least not yet.

The pain and shock of the night suddenly fell upon him in waves, and Tony felt the room spin as his head sunk to his chest. Another minute and he was unconscious, his body welcoming the temporary reprieve.

**~~Fancy Page Break~~**

When Tony awoke, everything hurt. His back was cramped, his head was throbbing, and his arms were aching from straining against the metal bonds last night. Thankfully, his leg had gone numb at some point during the night, and the only feeling he got of it was of pins and needles. Probably not good, but better than having to deal with that pain too.

He blearily opened his eyes, and the room looked the same as it had last night. There was no way to tell what time it was, and Tony cursed himself for not knowing the date from yesterday. Or was it the day before? Honestly, Tony had no idea how long he'd been in the helicopter unconscious when Loki kidnapped him. It could have been longer than he had first thought. Regardless of what day it was, the Avengers would no doubt have noticed his absence by now, and although Jarvis couldn't tell or show them anything, Tony was sure they could find him.

His thoughts turned to Pepper. He wondered what she was thinking of his disappearance. Suddenly, Tony remembered. He had made a program enabling Jarvis to be installed on Pepper's phone as well as the Malibu house and Stark Tower. Even if Tony erased the video at the Tower, it would still be on Pepper's phone. Tony hoped desperately that Pepper would think to check her phone after a while of him missing. At least they would know who took him, even if the video could give no hint as to where he was. He groaned. Even he didn't know where he was.

**~~Fancy Page Break~~**

Loki materialized in front of Tony about two hours later, ready to play with his new toy.

Tony barely glanced up, half-asleep as he was. Loki backhanded Tony across the face, which woke him up as his head spun.

"What the hell was that for, Loki!" yelled Tony, now fully awake.

Loki's jaw tightened and stared he turned to stare Tony in the eyes. "Watch that mouth, Stark, otherwise I may have to take away the privilege of speaking."

Tony just looked at him coolly.

"That was so you are fully awake when the fun begins, Mr. Stark."

"Yeah. Fun," snorted Tony. "Is that what they call it nowadays?"

Loki grinned.

"I don't know about 'them,' but I know this is going to be very fun. Not for you of course, but for me," replied Loki.

"Of course," Tony said in response. "You get all the fun. Well, once the Avengers find me, we'll be having the fun, eh?"

Loki whirled around and, with a tap, dissolved the bonds. Tony looked up in surprise, and Loki's hand wrapped around his neck, lifting him off the ground.

"Your precious little group of supposed heroes will not be finding you, not alive. They will find your broken, mangled body, or they themselves will be dead by the time we are done here," spat Loki.

Tony struggled to push himself upwards to avoid suffocating yet again, his toes pressing into the floor and his hands scrambling to lift from Loki's arms. Loki slammed him against one of the stone walls, and Tony stopped struggling, dazed.

"Let us begin, yes?" asked Loki.

Tony just shook his head, trying desperately to catch his breath.

"Oh, pity," sneered Loki, dropping Tony into a heap on the cold floor. He snapped, and the manacles from the ceiling came down to rest in front of him. Loki bent down and roughly grabbed Tony by the arm, hoisting him up and pressing him into the wall. He snatched Tony's wrists and quickly cuffed him to the chains. He snapped again, and the chains retracted, pulling Tony up with them. Tony's toes could just reach the floor, not enough to support any weight, but tantalizingly close.

Loki murmured, and the scepter in his hand shimmered gold, and transformed into a whip, made of beautiful braided leather and interwoven with small strands of gold. Tony stared in fear at the whip, then back to Loki.

"You'll pay for this, Loki. I hope you realize that."

"Oh, I look forward to it."

Loki rounded behind Tony, and Tony's muscles tensed. Loki ran a cool finger softly down the scabbed-over cut on his spine, sending a shiver down Tony's back. Loki chuckled, and the hand disappeared to be replaced by the harsh sting of a whiplash. Tony gasped, but refused to give Loki the satisfaction of a scream. Loki reared back and swung the whip harder, and Tony's back arched in pain. Tony let fly a string of expletives, and Loki grinned behind Tony.

"What have I said about language, Stark? I daresay one whiplash for each expletive should drive the point home."

Tony turned his head to glare behind him and felt the hot sting of the whip striking his cheek. He turned to face forwards again, and bit his lip to keep from cursing more, which would lead to even more pain in the long run.

Loki began swinging, setting up a rhythm, and each time pain racked Tony's body, but he refused to cry out. He bit his lip harder as Loki sped up, lashing him harder and harder. When Loki was finally done, he stepped back to admire his work. The whip had completely shredded the smaller man's back. Loki rounded to the front of Tony, and was surprised to find blood dripping down his chin from a bite on his lip.

Loki had to admire the man's pain threshold. Many mortals would at the very least have cried out during the harsh lashing Stark had received, but Stark did nothing.

Loki reached a hand out underneath Tony's chin and forced his head gently up. Tony glared at the god with such fury that Loki almost drew back in surprise, but caught himself. Loki reached his free hand up and softly brushed Tony's hair back.

"What secrets are you hiding from me, Stark?"

"What are you on about now, Reindeer Games?" asked Tony.

Loki stared at Tony contemplatively. "You know, most mortals would have at least cried out during that last lashing."

"Well, in case you forgot, I'm a superhero. Pain is part of the territory, genius," replied Tony spitefully.

"But there's more than that, isn't there?" asked Loki.

Tony just kept glaring at Loki, and suddenly Loki's hands reached up to his forehead. Loki closed his eyes, and Tony saw flashes of his past in his mind's eye.

His mind provided vivid memories of his time with the Ten Rings. The surgery, conducted by several men of whom only one had the faintest idea of what he was doing, and without anesthesia. The waterboarding, the sparks shooting from the car battery's place in his chest, leaving a harsh trail of burns on his torso. The Mark 1 suit, burning its way out of the cave to freedom. Yensin, his only friend in captivity, lying on the sacs in the cave, dying before of Tony's very eyes. Obadiah, leaning over him and ripping the reactor out of his chest, grinning all the while as the man who thought of him as a father lay dying. Loki pulled away slowly, and opened his eyes again.

"Well, that was interesting," said Loki slowly. Tony shot him a look that could kill.

"You asshole! You just had to go dredging up those memories, didn't you, you bastard!" Tony screamed.

Loki looked at him coolly, a ghost of a smile playing across his face. Tony abruptly realized what he had just done, and his eyes widened in fear.

"I-I'm sorry," muttered Tony, desperate to escape any more punishment. A chilling smile settled on Loki's face as he stepped forwards.

"Quite alright, my dear Anthony," murmured Loki. His hand drifted up Tony's torso to rest on the arc reactor. Tony flinched and closed his eyes.

"All I ask for is information," said Loki. "Tell me, Stark, what is this?"

Tony glanced at Loki and shook his head no.

Loki grasped the reactor and began slowly twisting. Tony's breathing hitched as Loki continued twisting. Loki heard a sharp click, and finally Tony blurted out, "Stop! Please!"

Loki stopped and looked up at Tony, whose eyes were filled with pain and fear. Tony took a breath and began talking quickly.

"It's an arc reactor. That little blue circle is what has been keeping me alive for the past few years, ever since Afghanistan. There are small pieces of shrapnel constantly trying to worm their way into my heart, but the reactor acts as an electromagnet that repels the shrapnel." Tony's eyes had dropped to the floor in shame, knowing this was not information that should be shared with the enemy, especially one who had him at his mercy.

"So what would happen if I were, to say, rip it out?" asked Loki softly.

Tony looked up at Loki in absolute terror. "I would die. I have less than five minutes to live upon its removal from my chest, in which I must find a new electromagnet, or else go into cardiac arrest when the shrapnel touches my heart."

Loki considered the small, glowing blue circle in his hand, and with a quick smile at Tony, yanked the reactor from his chest.

**So, what do you think?**

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**Please review, and thank you all again :P**


	3. Unexpected Visit

**Sorry it took so long to upload the third chapter, lots of stuff going on. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and as always, thanks to those who follow, favorite, or review. **

Tony gasped in pain as Loki held up the reactor in front of him, turning it slowly, mesmerizing.

"Such a beautiful object. Reminiscent of the Tesseract, is it not?" Loki moved behind Tony, whose muscles were tensed, his face screwed up in agony.

"Do you want this back, Anthony?" whispered Loki. Tony nodded vigorously.

"I will put it back, if you answer one simple question. You can do that, can't you?" purred Loki.

Tony shook as pain swept in harsh waves through his body, and slowly nodded.

"Okay then. Where is the Tesseract?" asked Loki.

Tony took a moment to process the question and try and come up with a believable answer. "I-I don't know. Thor had it when he took you back to Ass-guard. Doesn't he still have it?"

Loki chuckled. "You think you can lie to me, Stark? I am the Liesmith. Now tell me the truth, because by my count you have about three minutes left of your mortal life."

Tony cried out as the shrapnel continued on its fateful path towards his heart, piercing through the sensitive muscle surrounding his ribs in agonizing slow-motion as the seconds of his life ticked away.

"Fine!" gasped Tony finally. "It's on the SHIELD helicarrier. Thor brought it back to Earth on his last visit and accidently left it on the there. Fury gave it to me and Banner to run tests on at the lab," moaned Tony, hating himself for giving in.

Loki grinned in triumph and slowly pressed the arc reactor back into its place in Tony's chest. Stark cried out when the wire touched the side, but then sighed softly in relief as the reactor settled into its socket. He felt the shrapnel halt its movement towards his heart. Tony went limp in the chains, and sunk into a normal breathing pattern again. Loki lifted his chin and stared him in the eyes triumphantly.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

Loki vanished, and Tony head sunk to his chest in shame.

**~~Fancy Page Break~~**

**L****oki's Apartment **

**New York City**

Loki materialized in his apartment, already devising a plan with which to retrieve the Teseract. He paced back and forth across the small living area and considered his options.

He could attempt to get the Tesseract himself, but he despised this idea. He refused to take part in a plan where he could, by any stretch of the imagination, be captured himself by the Director. He was not ready to reveal himself to Fury, not yet. And while SHIELD was distracted, occupied trying to find their precious Iron Man, Loki could conduct his own plans in relative peace. So, no, he would not retrieve the power source himself.

He could try to contact his old Midgardian connections, but he doubted that any could be able to gain access to the carrier for a second time, especially not when SHIELD knew he was loose, although they knew not where. There were only a few of his contacts who had remained loyal to him anyhow; the rest had betrayed him after it appeared that he lost the battle with the Avengers. His eyes narrowed in silent rage. He would make those people pay, he would show them all that he could not be defeated by a mere group of lost creatures. He would not underestimate the mortals again. He couldn't, or Thanos…

No, he wasn't going to think of that. There was scheming to be done.

Suddenly, a grin alighted on his face. He knew who he needed. And he had the leverage to… persuade… said person to do what was needed quietly.

The god closed his eyes and relaxed, summoning as much magical energy as he could to search through the mass of consciousnesses in New York City. A self-satisfied smile settled upon his lips as he found who he was seeking. He concentrated hard. Reading minds from a distance was extremely difficult, especially someone with such a strong mind.

_Why does SHIELD have to assign me to go to a party. They know I hate socializing, they could have asked Clint. But no, they just leave it to me. Ah, well. At least it's not one of Tony's parties that always end with everyone in a drunken stupor and an outrageous bill for repairs and alcohol. This one, at least, will be classy, considering it's at the Metropolitan. _

Loki withdrew from the mind of his soon-to-be helper, genuinely delighted. He was going to a party.

**~~Fancy Page Break~~**

**Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City**

**That Night**

Natasha leaned against the drink bar, sipping her light champagne thoughtfully as she gazed around the museum, scanning the crowd of faces for her mark. SHIELD needed a potential threat brought in for questioning, and received intel that he would be at the gala tonight. So, because she was the only female agent currently available for field work, Natasha was forced to attend the grand opening of a new exhibit. She let out a soft sigh.

"Boring night?" asked a voice from behind her. She turned to face the speaker, and almost let out a gasp of surprise.

The man was handsome, with coiffed, short black hair and light green eyes; his face was smooth and wrinkle free. He wore a black designer suit with an emerald vest beneath, completed with a gold tie.

She nodded. "Yes. I expected a bit more from tonight," she replied.

The man gave her a sympathetic smile. "Not into art that much, huh?"

"No, not really," admitted Natasha.

"Let's see if we can't make the night more interesting, hmm?" asked the man with a sparkle in his eye. "Care to dance?"

Natasha smiled. "Of course."

The man took her hand gently and led her out onto the dance floor, wrapping his hands around her waist.

They made small talk for several minutes, talking about the art, the food, the weather. Suddenly the man pulled her closer, her head rested on his chest. They danced slowly, Natasha staying relaxed but keeping her eyes open for her still-absent mark.

Strangely, she felt the fabric beneath her begin to shift and change. The cotton of the suit became soft leather. She glanced upwards in surprise and froze. The man's hair had grown, reaching to his shoulders, his eyes had become a bright emerald green; his skin had paled and his cheekbones had become more prominent.

"Agent Romanoff, I would have thought you better prepared for this."

Natasha mentally chastised herself. She glanced around the room futilely, no one seeming to notice the drama taking place in their midst.

"Only you, my dear Spider, can see me as whom I really am. Everyone else sees a glamour, a fake. Now, you can come with me quietly, and no innocents will get hurt," murmured the God of Mischief softly. "But, if you try to fight me, I'm afraid that I cannot make that guarantee."

Natasha felt her gun against her leg beneath her dress, but she knew that she couldn't draw it, not in a room full of civilians, and she already knew it what be pointless against the god regardless. She cursed inwardly, then nodded her head into Loki's shoulder.

"I'll come," she whispered.

"Excellent choice," replied the god, smirking slightly.

The song ended, and the arm around her waist led her firmly away from the party-goers and into a currently empty hallway. Loki gestured towards one of the many doors. "After you."

Natasha reached for the handle and opened the door, stepping timidly into a dimly lit room. The door behind her shut and she heard the soft click of a lock. Natasha inspected the room with a spy's speed and skill, noticing a lack of cameras. She saw a shadow in the far corner of the room, and stepped forward to try and get a better look, when she felt her arms pinned behind her back by two strong arms. A pair of cuffs was chained around her wrists and ankles. She was patted down expertly, and was disappointed that the man found all seven of the various weapons she had hidden somewhere within her outfit. She was then released, and the two men disappeared into the shadows, leaving her alone with the god. She glared furiously at him, wishing looks could kill. He just laughed at her, infuriating her further.

"What do you want, Loki?" she spat.

Loki stared at her incredulously. "Did I not make it clear enough on my last visit to earth, Agent Romanoff? I want power over this realm, over the mortals." At this point he stepped up to her and leaned forward slightly. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face, sending a shudder down the assassin's back.

"And you are going to help me."

"Am I, now?" she asked. "Why, pray tell, would I help you?"

He smiled coldly.

"Because, my dear spider. I have leverage."


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! I know I haven't been updating, and I'm really sorry about that. Unfortunately, I am unable to continue this fic, but have passed it along to my friend KatLokidottir to write and finish. I assure you she is up to the task, but to all those who have followed or favorited, you're going to have to follow the story under her account name. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thank you to all readers. I hope you guys will continue to read it under her name. Thank you all!


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